Gamberini granted Viola extension

Italy defender Alessandro Gamberini has signed a two-year contract extension with ACF Fiorentina, tying him to the UEFA Champions League hopefuls until 2013.

EURO call-up
The centre-back has made 78 Serie A appearances for the Viola since joining from Bologna FC in 2005, a year after winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Italy. He was also named in the Azzurri's UEFA EURO 2008™ squad following an injury to Fabio Cannavaro, but did not make an appearance during the tournament. His new contract extension comes a day after a double celebration, with Gamberini turning 27 on Wednesday as the club's 0-0 draw at SK Slavia Praha earned them a 2-0 aggregate win and a place in the UEFA Champions League proper. Fiorentina will discover their group stage opponents during this evening's draw in Monaco, which begins at 18.00CET.